The Top 62 Places to Eat Near The Chicken Hut
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- James Beard Awards 2022 · Winner · Best Chef: Southeast · Ricky Moore
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Chef · Ricky Moore
- Eater 18 Essential Restaurants in Durham, North Carolina
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Rank 4. Nanas
French-influenced Italian
The chocolate soufflé has its own fan club, which tells you something about a French-Italian restaurant that's been around forever on Durham's dining scene. New owners have kept the old favorites, including a North Carolina shrimp remoulade that predates them, while leaning into pasta and wood-grilled larger plates. The room has a warm, smart retro feel, the kind that makes a weeknight dinner feel like a small occasion.
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Rank 5. Fairview Dining Room
Classic New American
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Rank 6. Seraphine
Southern
A moody Southern restaurant tucked into the restored American Tobacco complex, Seraphine pulls off the trick of feeling both historic and a little sultry at once. The marble bar is a good place to start with a cocktail before moving on to fried shrimp, broiled oysters, or a bowl of gumbo. A large terrace opens things up when the weather cooperates. End with the beignets, which the room seems to expect you to order.
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Rank 7. Little Bull
Mexican
The tom kha ceviche is the tell: this is a Mexican kitchen shaped by a chef who clearly cooked his way across the whole country before landing in Durham. Small and larger plates for sharing, with enough vibrant, produce-forward cooking to suggest a stint on the West Coast. Cold beers and house cocktails keep things easy. A Michelin Selected spot, and one of the more interesting things happening on N Mangum St.
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Rank 8. Nikos
Greek
A Greek and Mediterranean restaurant tucked into a restored tobacco warehouse, with exposed red brick and that particular blend of rustic and sleek that reads as modern tavern. The menu runs the classics, spanakopita, octopus, baklava, with the meze platter doing the heavy lifting for a group. Pair it with a glass of Greek white and the Durham industrial surroundings do their quiet best to approximate the Aegean, which is more convincing than it sounds.
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Wood-fired pizza in a lively Durham spot where the crust stays light and the toppings lean seasonal and a little unexpected. The open kitchen anchors the room, and the bar keeps things social. Yukon Gold potatoes with bagna cauda on a pizza sounds like a dare, but the kitchen commits. A solid gluten-free option exists for those who usually have to make peace with sad alternatives. Named among 50 Top Pizza USA's Excellent Pizzerias.
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- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Southeast · Preeti Waas
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Southeast · Preeti Waas
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- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Outstanding Bar Program
- Eater 18 Essential Restaurants in Durham, North Carolina
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Rank 28. Herons
Modern New American
Fine dining inside The Umstead Hotel and Spa, Herons draws much of its menu from the property's own farm, which gives the kitchen a reason to be smug and the plates a reason to back it up. The chef holds a James Beard semifinalist nod and a Forbes Five Star, and the wine list runs deep enough to require a second read. AAA Five Diamonds. Dress accordingly.
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A former dairy farm turned village, with white-linen tables and intimate rooms that make every dinner feel slightly ceremonial. This fine dining room sits at the heart of Fearrington Village outside Pittsboro, and the kitchen leans into its pastoral surroundings with a seasonal menu that pulls from the property's own gardens. The chocolate soufflé has become the kind of thing regulars plan around. A Forbes Four Star property.
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Rank 32. Crawford and Son
New American
A long bar on one side, black marble banquettes on the other, and manchego herb biscuits coming out of the oven warm enough to ruin your appetite for everything else, except you won't let them. This is a neighborhood New American restaurant that happens to read upscale without much effort. The menu stays short and seasonal, which in Oakwood apparently includes a James Beard nomination for Outstanding Hospitality.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Hospitality
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Scott Crawford - Crawford Hospitality
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Rank 33. Tamasha
Contemporary Indian
The name means "grand performance" in Hindi, and the room in North Hills plays along with a striking modern interior that makes dinner feel like an event. This contemporary Indian restaurant works local ingredients through traditional techniques, though the kitchen slides between classic and fusion without much fanfare. The chef earned a James Beard Emerging Chef semifinalist nod in 2025, which tracks with a menu confident enough to end on a dessert mapping her journey from northwest India to the South.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Emerging Chef · Bhavin Chhatwani
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Rank 34. Brodeto
Adriatic Italian
Named for a fish stew from the Adriatic coast, this Italian-Croatian restaurant sets up in Raleigh Iron Works alongside a cluster of eateries and offices. The menu moves from crudo and pasta through wood-fired fish to peka, a slow-cooked Croatian dish of octopus and potatoes over fire. The wine list takes Italy region by region, with particular growers called out. A James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalist in 2025, and in the Michelin Guide.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Scott Crawford - Crawford Hospitality
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Rank 35. Jolie
French
A champagne window cut into the front wall sets the tone at this French bistro in Historic Oakwood. The wine list runs strictly French, and the menu follows the same logic, classic technique with enough edge to keep it interesting. French onion soup and steak tartare anchor the savory side; the rum-soaked baba closes things out properly. A Michelin Selected restaurant, and the semi-covered terrace is a fine place to spend a bottle.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Scott Crawford - Crawford Hospitality
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Rank 36. Dampf Good BBQ
Barbecue
A BBQ trailer parked on a working farm outside Cary, open only Thursday through Saturday, which is either an inconvenience or a reason to plan your whole week around it. Brothers run the pit, selling smoked brisket and ribs by the weight at picnic tables. The house-made sausages quietly compete with the brisket for your attention. Come with patience for the queue and a backup plan if it rains.
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- US Coffee Championships #9 · U.S. Brewers Cup · Kyle Ramage
- US Coffee Championships #6 · U.S. Brewers Cup · John Dixon
- US Coffee Championships #3 · U.S. Coffee Roasters Championship · Kevin Seehousz
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Rank 39. Ajja
Mediterranean
- Esquire The Best New Restaurants in America
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best New Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Southeast · Cheetie Kumar
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Rank 40. Sam Jones BBQ
Barbecue
Whole hog over burning embers, chopped, and finished with a vinegar sauce sharp enough to cut the richness: this is Eastern North Carolina barbecue done the old way, at a downtown Raleigh counter-service spot that earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The family even brews the beer on tap. Expect a line on busy days, and plan to eat in, because the room has a friendliness that takeout can't package.
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Rank 41. Mala Pata
Mexican
Corn imported from Oaxaca gets ground in-house here, which is how seriously Mala Pata takes its tortillas, tostadas, and chips. It's a lively Mexican restaurant in a strip mall, with a cocktail bar next door that's essentially part of the deal. The Michelin Guide gave it a Bib Gourmand, which tracks when the tacos and botanas are this carefully sourced. Order the guacamole, pick a taco or two, and let the mezcal mule situation sort itself out.
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- US Coffee Championships #9 · U.S. Brewers Cup · Kyle Ramage
- US Coffee Championships #3 · U.S. Coffee Roasters Championship · Kevin Seehousz
- US Coffee Championships #6 · U.S. Brewers Cup · John Dixon
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The shucker behind the raw bar is working through a daily haul from North Carolina and beyond, which tells you everything about where the priorities lie. St. Roch is an oyster bar and bistro in a converted downtown clothing store, with Louisiana roots informing the menu: barbecue shrimp and grits on weekends, beignets to close. A Michelin Selected restaurant, and a James Beard semifinalist.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Southeast · Sunny Gerhart
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Rank 45. Stanbury
New American
A former grocery store in the Mordecai neighborhood, now a no-reservations New American spot where taxidermy watches you eat. The menu wanders from European to Mexican without apology, anchored by whatever North Carolina is growing that week. Arrive when they open or settle in on the deck with a drink and wait your turn alongside the regulars who already know the drill. Sharing is encouraged, which is convenient given how hard it is to commit to just one thing.
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Rank 46. The Pit Authentic Barbecue
North Carolina Barbecue
The smoke hits you half a block away, which is essentially the menu preview. This North Carolina barbecue spot occupies a converted warehouse in Raleigh's Warehouse District, and it runs deeper than a typical pit stop: chopped pork is the anchor, but ribs, smoked sausage, catfish, and shrimp make the combo decision genuinely difficult. Cornbread with seasonal butter starts things off, and carrot cake is the right ending.
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Rank 47. Poole's
Southern
The horseshoe counters at Poole's have been around forever, and the regulars at them look like they have too. It's a Southern dinner spot in a space that's part classic diner, part reclaimed warehouse next door, and the menu leans into the region without making a fuss about it. The tomato pie and the mac and cheese are the things people can't stop talking about, and the slow shrimp suggests the kitchen is in no hurry, which is a compliment.
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Rank 48. Brewery Bhavana
Chinese
The name promises a brewery, and the beers deliver, but there's not a burger in sight: this is a Chinese bistro serving dim sum and family-style plates, with local flowers, crafts, and secondhand books arranged around the room for browsing before or after. Some dishes run spicier than others. It reads like someone's eclectic living room, except the kitchen knows what it's doing. A second location operates nearby in Fenton.
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Rank 50. Figulina
Italian
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- Bon Appétit The Very Best Bagels in the US (Yes, Outside New York)
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Rank 52. Prime Barbecue
Barbecue
A Texas pitmaster who traded the Lone Star State for North Carolina opened this barbecue spot just east of Raleigh, and the brisket draws a line before the doors open. Order by weight or go the meat-and-two route with sides. Saturday's chopped whole hog lechon is the day's main event. It holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and a James Beard semifinalist nod. When they're out, they're done, so sleeping in is not the move.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Southeast · Christopher Prieto
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